Nutrisystem is one of the most recognizable names in weight loss and has rightly earned its place among the top diets. Founded in 1972, Nutrisystem has helped millions of people lose weight on its convenient portion-controlled meals. This program takes the guesswork out of dieting and many people find it to be an easy approach to healthy weight loss.

The brand is one of the first diets to earn its marks by offering a hassle-free way to lose weight with its meal delivery service. The diet plan takes care of the majority of grocery shopping, cooking and portioning by delivering meals and snacks that are calorie-controlled and pre-prepared. All you have to do is heat and enjoy, supplementing with a few fresh grocery store items. Nutrisystem originally offered only pantry-ready foods, but in 2009 added a frozen line of meals; combined the two lines offer more than 150 menu options.

In 2014, the company unveiled Nutrisystem My Way, its new, customized plan for each individual’s metabolism. All new Nutrisystem customers will be enrolled in this personalized program, which calculates a person's metabolic rate by taking into account a variety of factors including age, sex, weight, and level of physical activity. (Prior to this program, the diet had two levels—one for men and one for women.) As part of the new My Way plan, Nutrisystem is also offering a one-week plan called Fast 5, which is being marketed as a low-calorie (1,000 a day) weeklong “jumpstart” to the program that guarantees a weight loss of 5 pounds in the first week. These results were confirmed in a clinical study.

The Nutrisystem diet is personalized to meet individual health goals and consistent with national guidelines for dietary intake meeting targets for fat, sodium, sugar, cholesterol and fiber as well as national guidelines for physical activity. All the foods are portion controlled and rely on a balanced approach by offering low glycemic index eating, to control blood sugar, that is high in protein and fiber, for satiety.

There are a range of plans at varying price points that are tailored to suit different nutritional needs, with those specifically for men, women, teens, people with diabetes and vegetarians.

Plans and meals are selected and ordered from Nutrisystem's website or by phone. You'll receive 28 days worth of food that comes in pantry-ready and or frozen containers that you simply heat before eating. Some grocery purchases will need to be made for items like fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grain bread, fish, and more.

When you sign up with Nutrisystem, you'll also receive access to a Mindset Makeover behavioral guide, a 13-week online plan to help you better understand your relationship with food. It provides steps for taking control of your eating habits. Nutrisystem customers also have online access to health information, community support, weekly newsletters, smart phone applications, and tracking tools. Additionally, you receive complimentary, optional counseling from trained weight-loss coaches, registered dietitians and certified diabetes educators.

Named "Best Convenience Diet" in USA Today's The Best of Diet & Fitness Magazine, 2013

CON

Meals may leave you feeling hungry

May be cost prohibitive for some

Limited flexibility for eating off plan (i.e. restaurants)

USER REVIEWS

A sampling of feedback and experiences shared by our community.

I tried nutrisystem in 2008 and lost 28 pounds.It was the only diet I ever went on that actually worked,yes it is a little expensive, with the veggies and dairy but if you stick to it it works. - Lori 6/28/11

I've been on NS, the diabetic program, for 3 months. I've lost 35 pounds and my blood sugar has come WAY down(from mid 200's to low 100's). And I don't find the food unpalatable at all. You can customize your order, so anything I don't like I just don't order again, and anything I like I order more off on the next shipment. Customer service has been excellent, and there is a huge member support that is extremely helpful. Plus, I AM learning how to eat properly to keep the weight off when I reach goal. Yay, Nutrisystem! - Betty 6/16/11

it absolutely works if you follow it correctly. It is easy to follow as well, but the food is horrible!!!There are only a few things that are tolerable, and even if you customize your order you will get extremely tired of eating those same things over and over. They have a plan where you get these other foods added that are frozen. They are WAY better, but you only get a couple of weeks worth of it then your back to eating the other horrible food. Totally not worth it. I've tried it three times because I did lose the weight, but I couldn't handle the food. - Whitney 5/17/11

The portion sizes are sooo small. It's not possible to just grab and go. To feel satisfied you have to add fruits and lots of vegetables. It's not as mindless as I thought it was going to be.Fruits and vegetables are expensive. Overall it works because your fat/calories are so restricted and because no one wants to wstet all the money they spent on the program. I didn't mind the food. I have don't have gourmet taste or anything. No worse than the frozen/dried meals in stores now. I will probably not buy another month worth of food. Could have probably lost weigt eating lean cuisines, protein bars etc. I think nutrisystem is a good jump start to a diet and healthier eating. - TB 1/21/11

Whenever people sign up for a meal delivery diet, the big question is "What can I eat?". With Nutrisystem, there are more than 150 meal and snack options to choose from, to include pantry-ready and frozen meals. Muffins, roasted vegetable pizza, stuffed shells, macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup, chicken parmesan, and tacos are just a few of the entrees, while snacks include bars and pretzels. Dessert isn't out of the picture with options like oatmeal raisin cookies, chocolate, ice cream and whoopee pies. All of this is complemented by a few grocery purchases, including fresh fruits and vegetables. Each Nutrisystem meal is pre-packaged and prepared to the appropriate portion size. Many items are ready-to-eat but some require heating.

All of the Nutrisystem meals are low on the glycemic index and contain a balanced proportion of quality carbohydrates (50%), good fats (25%) and protein (25%). Meals are also low in sodium and trans fat. All of this allows customers to maintain blood sugar while maintaining a feeling of fullness, or satiety, between meals.

The women’s program contains about 1,200 calories and the men’s contains about 1,500 calories per day, but these numbers may change depending on your current weight, age, and activity level. Each day you’ll eat three meals and and two snacks with the addition of six servings of fresh fruits and vegetables. You can either custom select your own meals or choose an automated favorites meal and snack menu. Pantry-ready foods do not need to be refrigerated; however, fresh-frozen meals ship in a cooler and must be frozen until ready to prepare.

A typical day on the Nutrisystem SUCCESS program includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, one snack and a dessert. Below is a sample menu from the Nutrisystem Select option, which features some fresh-frozen items:

Breakfast: Granola Cereal or Honey Wheat Bagel

Snack: Hummus or an orange

Lunch: Red Beans and Rice or Chicken Tacos

Dinner: Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes or Sweet and Sour Chicken

Dessert: Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies or Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

In December 2012, Nutrisystem announced the addition of two dozen new and improved meal options to their menu.

Chicken Pot Pie

Stuffed Egg

Cheesecake Bar

Spicy Kung Pao

Margarita Pizza

Chicken Pot Pie

Cinnamon Streusel Muffin

Chicken Parmesan Melt

Stuffed Apple Pie

White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

EXERCISE

Nutrisystem sees exercise as an important component to lifelong weight management and encourages members to get 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week (or 30 minutes five days a week).

The addition of the “My Daily 3” program has helped users achieve their workout goals. The program is made up of three 10-minute interval activities each day, allowing even the busiest of schedules to easily make fitness a priority. Nutrisystem customizes a fitness plan for each customer, based on an assessment taken online, and encourages your doctor to sign off on it. An example plan for a woman looks like this:

Members receive a two-week personalized fitness plan with guidance on how to increase their activity as fitness level improves and the weight loss journey progresses.

When you eat Nutrisystem's meals, you will lose weight without exercise. However, your weight loss will be more effective and sustainable if you incorporate a consistent exercise regimen. You will see faster results, have less trouble keeping the weight off, and enjoy better overall health. Find an activity you enjoy and that interests you. This will keep you motivated and looking forward to your workouts. There are online forums available to dieters for tips and suggestions from other members. Below are just a few examples of some popular choices:

Zumba

Aerobics classes

Walking with a buddy

Kickboxing

Yoga

Pilates

Biking

Swimming

Jogging

Fitness video games (example Nintendo Wii Fit)

NUTRISYSTEM FAQ

Common questions asked about the NutriSystem program by our community. Click each to see the full answer.

Nutrisystem is a well-recognized and successful weight loss program that has helped millions of people lose weight and improve their health. It’s been calculated that in the past ten years, Nutrisystem has helped people shed more than 71 million pounds. Its convenience and portion-controlled meals are delivered to your door every month making it easy to eat healthy as you lose weight. The company has implemented many ways for members to gain support as they lose, transition, and maintain. Members are also being taught how to cook for themselves throughout the process and have access to support at all stages of the process. Exercise components to aid in faster loss and maintenance have also been added to make the program more well-rounded and allow for long-term success. While weight gain after ending a diet is common, Nutrisystem puts a lot of components in place to ensure customers have as much success during as they do after.

Nutrisystem has added many support elements so that individuals will feel comfortable to seek advice and assistance once they are past the pre-made meal stage. All variations of the Nutrisystem plans fall under the SUCCESS program and tailored to each individual, whether that be diabetes, vegetarian, men’s needs, women’s needs, budget needs, or any other issues.

I have lost 17 lbs in 5 weeks! The food is great and I can take it without having to dish out portions. I spend as much or more grocery shopping so this is a win, win for me.

posted Feb 13th, 2014 2:18 pm

Cecelia

I purchased one of the 5-day starter kits from Walmart and with a few exceptions found the food to be tasteless and boring. The chili and some of the granola bars were somewhat edible but the rest was horrible and the portions were so small that I found I was hungry again in less than 2 hours. I was really excited about trying a few months of your plan to help me get started but if the starter kit was an example of what I could expect I decided it was not worth it.

posted Jan 12th, 2014 11:09 pm

G.

This is a great diet and it's more than a diet... it's a lesson in portion control and healthy eating habits. If you're interesting in trying nutrisystem for the first time you can get a free $30 nutrisystem coupon code by emailing me at ggartnerislander@gmail.com. I will send it to you immediately and you will be on your way to success!

posted Oct 28th, 2013 5:36 am

Michelle

After struggling with my weight my entire life I finally tried Nutrisystem and lost 41 pounds!! That was two years ago and the weight is STILL off!!! I found the program simple to follow and the food was awesome!! I still order some of the food today because I simply LOVE it and want it in my daily diet :-) ! I am 34 years young and in the best shape of my life! I even have my first 1/2 marathon coming up in three weeks!!! For the first time in my life I have control of my weight and it feels AMAZING!!!! I have Nutrisysyem to thank for getting me to this amazing place! I never want to look back :-)

posted Sep 11th, 2013 2:44 pm

Lisa

Very easy to follow- all my meals for the month were sent right to me! I liked the on-line tracking of my meals, exercise, and progress. I saw results from the very first week.

posted Sep 9th, 2013 4:39 pm

Sharon Zmyewski

I have tried several diets over the years and never had success until now. Nutrisystem was the answer for me. The meals are excellent and very convenient. The support staff was wonderful. . I lost 106 pounds and reached my goal in 13 months. I am 50 years old and in the best shape of my life. Thank you Nutrisystem. You are a life saver.

posted Sep 9th, 2013 4:04 am

aboz

Not only did I lose 80+ lbs by using NutriSystem, I have kept it off for almost a year, on my own, by using what I learned! I really enjoyed the variety and flavor of the foods available and the ease of 'grab and go' made it simple for me to follow as a full-time working mom.

posted Sep 6th, 2013 4:18 pm

Crys

I used this program twice (after each of my pregnancies) and was very successful each time. The food is great, affordable and most of all WORKS for weight loss!

posted Sep 5th, 2013 10:44 pm

Christina B

Amazing program, I am VERY happy with my results! I've lost and kept off the weight!

I've been on Nutrisystem before years ago, and lost my goal of 20+lbs in 3 months. This time around I've got 80lbs to lose. I lost 7lbs in the first week!!! If anyone wants a buddy bucks code for $30 off their first order send me an email at buddybuckscodes@gmail.com or visit http://nutrisystembuddybucks.webs.com/ Love all the chocolate options when I signed up for the whole program. This is a great way to try and see if you will like the food and can stick to the program. They've got you eating so many times in the day you never feel hunger pains. The key is the high protein, high fiber, low GI index foods. For myself, I've noticed in the past when I use low fat dairy products like yogurt and cheese it seems to really help rev up my weight loss, and they work great for making you feel full longer and satisfying cravings for sweets with the yogurts.

posted Jul 25th, 2013 12:38 am

Barry

Nothing looks like the picture on the picture on the pkg.I want something that looks like the picture. The beans and rice for example have no beans, just a dark soup with little rice.

posted Jul 12th, 2013 9:52 pm

jane

I had done NS 20 years ago-10 years ago and 5 years ago. it was great. NOW it is horrible. if you want to eat diet bars for breakfast and lunch and powdered food you add water to this is for you. Most of this food you would find in an emergency kit. It once had had nice meals with beef and chicken now everything is just processed carb stuff you add water too. I was surpisrised how they have gone down hill.

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The information provided within this site is strictly for the purposes of information only and is not a replacement or substitute for professional advice, doctors visit or treatment. The provided content on this site should serve, at most, as a companion to a professional consult. It should under no circumstance replace the advice of your primary care provider. You should always consult your primary care physician prior to starting any new fitness, nutrition or weight loss regime.